"Your mana, huh? Did you think only wizards could percieve something like that? That'd be sort of unfair, don't you think?"
Linnie frowned. "I don't know? I've never really thought about it. You didn't answer, though."
"Well, that's because I'm a knight," he grinned, raising an eyebrow.
He even flexed his arm as if to show his large, developed muscles. Not that Linnie cared. At all. Though, it was interesting to, once again, meet a knight. Perhaps they weren't as rare as he had thought they were, back when he was just a homeless boy in a small, backwater town.
Then again, this was also the crown prince he was speaking to, over breakfast in a dukes home, no less. Perhaps it wasn't knights and wizards who were less rare than he had thought, but that he himself had become a rare person, and as such became destined to mingle with those he once thought unreachable.
"How old did you say you were, again?" Linnie asked.
The only other knights he'd met before—Marielle's guard and the knight lady who had once offered to take him as her ward—were both at the very least middle aged. Prince Odrick, however, was only a few years older than Linnie.
"I'm twenty. Why? I look too young to be a knight?"
"Well—yeah, I guess."
"Did you think only wizards could have young talent? Your teacher's pretty strong, and we're around the same age."
"Wizards are different. Knights have to train a lot more than wizards, don't they? Wizards can be super gifted, like me. I bet I could even take on a weaker knight, at this point. I'm pretty powerful."
"Is that what you think? I suppose you're sort of right. I'm not even a knight yet, myself—ha, but that isn't for lack of skill. A man is only knighted on his 21st birthday. I do hate to break it to you, though..." He grinned devilishly. "There's no way in hell you'd ever beat a knight. Not even the weakest one in the world."
Linnie gulped, swallowing a large portion of food.
"Ehehe, maybe not. But if you aren't a knight, what are you?"
"A squire, I suppose. We're the same! Squire and apprentice. You think you could beat me?"
"Uhhh... I don't know. How strong are you?"
The doors to the dining hall burst open, revealing a tall woman standing in the doorway.
"As strong as that bastard, at the very least. Isn't that right, Prince Odrick?" Aliza called out. "Two freaks, the both of you."
Despite her previous night's rough circumstances, she looked... fine. No one could've guessed she had been passed out drunk. In fact, since they arrived in Corvailles, she had put on an air of nobility—one that was obviously not upheld during her late-night escapades. Wait, that sounds perverse... in reality, she was only getting wasted.
"Lady Aliza... what a surprise! What are you doing in Corvailles?"
"You haven't heard?" she stifled a laugh, though it wasn't directed at Odrick. "I'm apparently a part of Alwyn's party, now."
Odrick was both shocked and amused, smiling while furrowing his brow. He placed his fork back on his plate and gently shook his head.
"Wow, now that really is a surprise. Sit down, sit down, I'm sure you have much to tell me. We haven't spoken in a very long time, after all! And, how you've changed! I'm honestly surprised I even recognized you!"
"Well, you know what they say... beauty trancends barriers."
'I don't see how that relates to what he said at all, though?'
Aliza took a seat right next to Linnie, which, unbeknownst to the young woman, made him quite uncomfortable. The boy hadn't been vocal about it, or even thought about it too deeply—but he might've stopped liking Aliza altogether after her conversation with Alwyn that he and Liora had overheard.
It was a real shame, too, since Linnie really liked her prior to that. She reminded him deeply of those older girls from his town.
Unfortunately, the boy was comparable to a stray kitten—even the deepest affection could quickly devolve into hostility with the slightest mistake. Not like it was Aliza's fault or responsibility to domesticate this animal, but if she'd known what he felt, surely she'd try to mend it.
Linnie would never tell her, though, if he could help it. He decided to simply continue to be wary of the woman, and awaited for the time that she would depart from their party. If luck was on his side, that would be in only a few months, when they reached the capital.
"If I may ask, why are you travelling with him?" Odrick asked.
"Oh, you know how it is, magic, wizards, one thing or another. It's not meant to be a long-term arrangement, anyway."
"Pardon, but, Lady Aliza, I was under the impression that...?"
"It's no longer of any importance to me, or anyone, so you don't have to worry about it. And, please, Aliza is fine. I'm not a lady. Not anymore. So..."
"My apologies, Aliza. It's truly unfortunate—when I'd heard what happened, I—"
"I said it's of no importance. Really, it's fine. But, what about you? Last I heard, you were on a monstrous campaign in that place. What are you doing in Corvailles?"
Linnie quickly tapped out. He was sort of having fun when it had just been him and the prince, but once Aliza appeared, he was quickly shut out of the conversation. It wasn't something the other two were purposely doing, it was just that the boy had nothing to add. Needless to say, something this trivial absolutely worsened his opinion of Aliza even further.
His ears perked up when he finally heard something interesting, though.
"Yes, well, my marriage with Marielle will have to be postponed. I can't say it's a shame, but—"
"What the hell!? Your marriage!? With Marielle!? The Marielle down the hall and to the left!?"
As Linnie shouted, bits of food and spit landed on Odrick's face and coat. Both Aliza and the prince were shocked by the sudden outburst.
Picking up his napkin from the table, Odrick wiped his face clean. Then, he spoke.
"That's right."
Linnie scowled. "Disgusting... that's fuckin' disgusting! Yuck! Aren't you a grown man!? Aren't you, like, I don't know, ashamed of yourself!? That's... what's the damned word? You're like a predator or something! A sexual deviant!"